Another Sunday talking head show snippit from Meet The Press back on 2/8. The topic in that round table was that of vaccines – is it up to the Individual, the parents, that get to decide for their children whether or not to get vaccinations? Or is it something that Government decides, period? At what point are we free individuals and at what point, are we not? Chuck Todd, host of MTP, at least raised the issue even if put in terms of Republican verses Democrat?
Chuck Todd: I guess it is the larger issue of, sort of, personal freedom versus the public good which of does do divide the two parties
And of course, it is rather easy to see which part the Democrats play and which the Republicans play in. But then Andrea Mitchell slid in under Todd’s voice with a bit of what she thought was a zinger:
Andrea Mitchell: What about seatbelts?
Well, this is supposed to be the mic drop moment?
Really? Sure, a lot of States mandate seatbelt usage – the case of the Nanny State telling us, mandating us, on what is good for us. Does it matter that wearing seatbelts is a good thing? It is a good, but there is no “public” good in mandating it. The Feds have tried incessantly to get NH to mandate that ALL must wear seatbelts (it is for kids) at the pain of giving up our private property (fines) or liberty (a temporary residency in a rather small room with a leering roomie named Bubba) – last time, the Fed crack money bribe was about $3.65 / resident.
Thankfully, it was rejected. Look, seatbelts are a private goodness – it does save lives and I ALWAYS wear mine and if I am driving, the car doesn’t move until everyone else is – my car, my rules. But why should Govt force me to? Bad decision on my part can result in a bad consequence – severe injury or even death. I do reject the notion that it is a public good in that MY wearing a seatbelt is necessary (as I was haughtily told when sitting on a panel discussing such things) to protect the first responders from my gruesomeness be I in a horrific crash be they the cops, the EMTs, the ambulance crews, ER – or the Medical Examiner.
Sorry, my responsibility does not extend to “saving them” in that situation. To myself, my family – of course. But for others I need to lose the freedom to make that decision? At least here in THIS State, I DO get to decide to Live Free – or Die and not have to worry that I have to give that up so as not to “offend” someone of looking at me. It just isn’t my duty, my responsibility, to protect someone else.
In the larger sense, IS it my responsibility to be responsible for the state of mind of others? For their health? To protect others? To make me responsible for others without even a nary “by your leave”? Collectivists say “of course you are – in all things”. There is no middle ground, no compromise. To them, the Group is premier, the Individual is but a mere cog.
I think not. Life isn’t fair that way – never has been and never will be no matter what is mandated otherwise. For once you go down that road, bad things will happen. Voluntarily – yes. Mandated – no.
The Bigger the Government, the smaller the citizen
